Regional News

Frederick Lawson targets WBC welterweight world title

Date: Jul 24 , 2018 , 10:31

BY: Kweku Zurek

Category: Sports News

Frederick Lawson targets WBC welterweight world title

Ghanaian welterweight boxer Frederick Lawson (27-1, 21 KO) will inch a step closer to the WBC welterweight world title if he defeats South Africa’s Chris Van Heerden (26-2-1) in the co-main event of Evander Holyfield’s Jose Sulaiman World Invitational Tournament on Saturday, August 25th in Toronto, Canada.

According to Lawson whose only career loss was suffered at the hands of Kevin Bizier in 2015, even though he respects his opponent, he will be too strong and hungry for him.

The knockout artist has been on a three-fight winning streak since retiring against Bizier with a broken jaw. He has dispatched the likes of Baishanbo Nasiyiwula, Fidel Monterrosa Munoz and Sakima Mullings during that period.

“Ain’t no stopping Team Lawson now, we’re on the move. Nothing can change the course of my destiny. I respect Chris and his accomplishments but I’m just too strong and hungry for him. Watch me take him apart on fight night. General Okunka is coming to do battle and will surely prevail,” Lawson who now resides in The Bronx and has over 20 knockouts said at a press briefing.

The USA’s Brad Solomon (28-1) will face Mexico’s Francisco Santana (25-6-1) in the other headline bout of the tournament organised Holyfield’s The Real Deal Sports and Entertainment and Lee Baxter Promotions in association with Louisville Top Knotch and the World Boxing Council.

The two semi-final winners in August will move up the ranks again and then go head-to-head later this year in the finals. The overall winner of the Jose Sulaiman World Invitational Tournament will be in a position to fight for the WBC Welterweight World Title in 2019.

To combat one of boxing’s biggest issues, inexplicable if not downright awful judging and scorecards, the tournament features 5 judges as opposed to the regular 3. One for each side of the ring as well as one judge who watches the fight on a monitor with no sound. Halfway through the fight, scorecards are announced to the audience and the fighters so everyone is aware of how the 5 judges are viewing the bout. The first round of the tournament did not have a single controversial decision in 5 back to back 10-round fights and several fights had distinct momentum shifts after the cards were announced at the halfway point. The Real Deal Boxing also developed a standardized scoring system that is given to judges in advance which clearly defines the way a round should be scored to eliminate any subjectivity from the equation. Last but not least, any bouts that end in a draw immediately head to an 11th and final round that judges must give to one of the fighters.

Instant Replay

A nearly universal request from fighters, fans and the entire boxing community, the tournament uses instant replay. In the case of a controversial or potentially wrong call, the incident in question is reviewed in between rounds, allowing officials to get it right every time. Instant replay helps assure the bout’s outcome and scorecards are never affected by a missed call, be it a slip ruled as a knockdown or a cut from an accidental headbutt ruled as punch or vice versa.

Fighter Safety

In the tournament’s first round fighters were required to undergo a pre-fight MRI and post-fight MRI (on the following day of the fight) regardless of the bout’s outcome. In addition, The Real Deal Boxing has it’s own internal team of physicians to oversee the health and safety of all the fighters on their roster, helping to address the inconsistent medical standards brought on by differing requirements from each regulatory authority. The expense of these additional medical and safety requirements is covered entirely by The Real Deal Boxing.